Orchestre Septentrional

The story so far.

Written and edited by Smokiller

Orchestre Septentrional, known to fans as Septen, is a big band from Cap-Haïtien co-founded in 1948 by saxophonist Ulrich Pierre Louis. The Haitian Times calls it one of the two oldest konpa formations still performing in Haiti, with roots reaching back to when the genre was usually spelled compas, and describes its sound as a blend of meringue, konpa, bolero and other rhythms. The paper's survey of regional bands credits Septentrional and Tropicana d'Haïti with making the north part of konpa's fabric, ready to play the new beat when Nemours Jean-Baptiste introduced it. Le Nouvelliste covered the band's 77th anniversary on July 27, 2025, held at the Feu Vert Night Club in Cap-Haïtien, which was dressed in the orchestra's yellow and green colors while traffic jammed the city's boulevard. The paper calls the band the doyenne of Haitian music. Recordings online include Abandon, Ekilib la vi and Pa juge.